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Dav Man'Sell
:::::::This article is about the '''Player Character'. You may be looking for the writer.'' Dav Man'Sell was a Jedi Master, Pilot, and Lightsaber Champion who lived through both the Clone Wars and the Jedi Purge, surviving even as the Emperor and his apprentice, Darth Vader scoured space for the remaining Jedi still scattered throughout the galaxy. Dav was best known during his time as a Jedi Master and Battlemaster at the Yavin IV Jedi Praxeum, and his life story has become the subject of interest to many young Jedi in training. Biography Early Life Born on Commenor to a Human Father and a Half-Human Mother, Dav was taken to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant aged four to study as a Jedi. During his time as a youngling, Dav was a part of the Katarn Clan. He was known for being bright, talented, and intelligent, learning his Force abilities and skills quickly not through talent, but through determination and careful study. At age eleven, he was taken as a Padawan learner to Jedi Knight Jo'osh Tors, having already excelled in many of his studies - especially lightsaber combat. He spent many more hours training under Cin Drallig in his Padawan years, and his enthusiasm and proficiency quickly caught the eye of many within the Order. His promise as a saber-artist and as a Jedi was exciting for many, but was quickly over shadowed by the achievements of young up-and-coming Anakin Skywalker. This caused slight resentment, and a clash of personalities, between Dav and Obi-wan Kenobi’s remarkable Padawan, but eventually, as the two matured, they came to respect each others abilities, and set aside their rivalry. At the age of seventeen, Dav Man’Sell became a fully fledged Jedi Knight of the Jedi Order. Wrongfully Accused Not long after his Knighting ceremony, Dav was involved in a dreadful diplomatic mix-up, and arrested by the security forces of the isolated world of El’Dirit for crimes he did not commit. Taken prison alongside Jenna SiStone, a bodyguard for one of the Republic’s diplomats, he was imprisoned on a penal asteroid. Eighteen months passed, over which time he served as a moral touchstone and guiding influence for the inmates, whilst helping protect them from meteor showers, fighting between two imprisoned organised crime factions, and abduction by scientists of an unknown species looking to experiment on Human genetics. Eventually, their names cleared, Dav and Jenna were released and given full pardons. Shortly after his release, Dav spent some time training under Mace Windu, learning the complexities of the older Jedi's self-developed lightsaber form, Vaapad. Jedi Knight Dav excelled in it, but never truly Mastered the complicated lightsaber form at that time. The Clone Wars At the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Dav was called to action, and fought at Geonosis as part of Master Windu's strike team. Having survived the battle, Dav was made into a General of the Republic, commanding a squad of Clone Troopers in several mid- and outer-rim campaigns, and earning a reputation as one of the most daring Jedi in the Republic Army. In the closing weeks of the War, Dav faced a Dark Jedi on Haruun Kal, one of the worlds he was defending from the Separatists forces still fighting under the terrible General Grievous. The two engaged in a vicious lightsaber duel, stalemated for several hours, before the Dark Jedi took his blade to a group of innocent civilians. Dav flew into a fit of rage, hammering at his opponent's defenses with powerful Djem-So and Vaapad techniques. As he struck the Dark Jedi down, he touched the Dark Side himself - for that moment, he was no longer veiled to the future by the Dark Side as the rest of the Jedi were, and he foresaw flashes of the Purge, the Empire, and the evil of Darth Vader. Boarding his Delta-7 Starfighter, Dav ran. From the Purge, from his own fear of the Dark Side powers he had touched, from the entire Galaxy. He went into hiding on the far Outer-Rim, thus surviving the Jedi Purge. Fallen Hero For several years, he moved around worlds of the Outer Rim, living under a number of different personas and hiding his former Jedi status from the Empire, with only his Astromech Droid, R2-D30 - known as Dirty -, for company. But he could not hide forever - eventually, Darth Vader, and Emperor Palpatine himself, found him. In his duel against Vader, Dav once again touched the Dark Side of the Force, temporarily gaining the upper hand over the Sith Lord. The Emperor then struck Dav down with Force Lightening, and captured him. Several months of torture and mind manipulation followed, until Dav Man'Sell, some of his memories repressed by the Emperor, became one of Palaptine's elite agents - an Emperor's Hand. Dav served the Empire in this way, infiltrating and assassinating, even hunting down some of the other Jedi to have survived the Purge, including Jo’osh Tors, his former Jedi Master, who he killed in a vicious duel on Naboo. The new, dark Dav trained under both Darth Vader and Darth Sidious, his lightsaber skills improving further by Vader’s training, and expanded by the Emperor’s knowledge in the ancient art of Juyo. He learned additional skills in stealth operation, infiltration, and unarmed combat, hunting and killing with greater and greater success, until one day four years after the Battle of Yavin. One key day in the history of the Galaxy. Free Mind The first death of Palpatine, over the forest moon of Endor, saw the return of Dav's previous consciousness, hidden and repressed by the Emperor’s indomitable will power, but impossible to fully destroy. Dav's mind suddenly became his own once more, and his memories returned to him, traumatically putting into perspective the heinous acts he had committed in the Emperor’s name. Shock, despair, and hatred hit him so hard that his connection to the Force went numb. He ran once again, this time out of fear, and loathing, of himself. Returning to the planet on which he had been captured, Dav reclaimed his Delta-7 and old companion Dirty, and once again shot off into hiding amongst the obscure and ambiguous worlds of the Rim. Gradually, as the months and years passed, his connection to the Force began to return, step by step. It was during this time that Dav was approached, on Nar Shadaa, by a man that he had spared years earlier, when this man was just a child. The man identified himself as Jessop Tors, the son of Jo’osh, and told that he knew Dav had known his father before he died. Dav, believing that he at least owed this to his former master, took it upon himself to care for Jessop, and train him. However, Dav’s cautious approach to training the young man, combined with the confession that he had killed Jo’osh, caused Jessop to seek training elsewhere. He learned from one of Palpatine’s Holocrons, found, curiously, for sale in an antiques shop, and turned his new-found Dark Side Force Powers to theft and cheating, and ultimately, murder. Dav, recognising his failure, went to apprehend Jessop once he had returned from tasks closer to the Core Worlds, where the Empire still reigned. A duel erupted between the exiled Jedi Knight and his student, and Dav was forced to collapse a cave on top of Jessop. Believing him dead, Dav left that world, going into deeper exclusion, his self-doubts reinforced by his failure to guide Jessop and prevent his fall to the Dark Side. Times truly had grown Dark for Dav Man'Sell, his life becoming a compilation of failures; the Jedi Purge, service to the Empire, and the fall of his own student. Reluctant steps He met Luke Skywalker for the first time during Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Campaign, working with the legendary Jedi, and again assisted him in locating Jedi students for his Praxeum when it was officially established, scouting out the talented and Force Sensitve Anx, Madurrin, and bringing her to Yavin IV for her training there. At last, finding his powers stronger, and his emotional hurt healing, Dav volunteered to help the fledgling new Jedi Order, fighting alongside the Jedi during the closing stages of the Diciples of Ragnos Crisis. This was his first time fighting openly alongside the other Jedi since the Clone Wars. However, these occasions where he involved himself in Galactic affairs were rare – For the most part, Dav spent over thirty more years in self-imposed exile, only getting involved when situations were desperate. His fear of his own darkness kept him blinded to his potential for good. Dav was present at Sernpidal the day it was destroyed by the Yuuzhan Vong tactic, Yo’Gand’s Core. As a result of witnessing that horrific event, and despite his continuing exile, Dav participated heavily in the Yuuzhan Vong War, undertaking the task of watching over several locations in the Galaxy for Master Skywalker in order to protect them from Yuuzhan Vong agents. Chief amongst these was the Valley of the Jedi on Ruusan, which Luke feared could be used by the Vong to make their voxyn, and other Jedi hunting weapons, even more powerful, as well as watching out for several strongly Force Sensitive communities. He clashed several times with the Peace Brigade and Vong Jedi hunters, rescuing his comrades from their captivity. Return of the Jedi Eventually, after long years of fighting in the background and thinking on the future, he came to the decision that his time to return to the Galaxy-at-large had come, that his exile alone would merely drive him further and further from the light, and that the threat to the Jedi was great enough that they needed all the numbers the could get, and so, he headed back to the larger civilizations. Still fearful of his own inner darkness, and still unable to use a number of his Force Powers without resorting to the Dark Side, powers he had been able to use with the Light Side just fine prior to the Emperor’s corruption of him, he sought the guidance of the New Jedi Order, hoping they could guide him back to the Light. After much searching, he came back across the Academy on Yavin IV, which he made his new home. After consideration and reflection on his failings over the decades since the Clone Wars, Dav decided that the best step was to start afresh. He enrolled with the Praxeum as a student and became Ksandra Mallan’s padawan. An apprentice again, Dav sought to learn anew the various abilities that he had lost as a result of his fall to the Dark Side, and rediscover his confidence and faith in himself. Dav, suddenly invigorated by the surprising acceptance and warmth of the Praxeum’s members, became an active member of the Academy quickly, being selected for a position in the Academy’s elite Starfighter squadron, Dragon Squadron, and making several friends, particularly Tonaris Phedi, who helped Dav to transfer Dirty from his hard-wired place inside the old Delta-7 Starfighter into a full Astromech body. He finally realised that all he had needed was the company of other Jedi, their compassion guiding him to his own forgiveness. He bonded with his Master, the two becoming impeccably close, and several others, including Ton, Andru Kierra, Ander Tagira, Tebana Sor, Jago Pulastra, Zuli Madoon, and Ronan Starflare. Shortly after this return to the Jedi Order, Dav discovered the full extent of the unused finances in his name. As an Emperor's Hand, Dav had been very generously paid, including several multi-million credit expense accounts, and the funds had remained untouched for almost four decades, surviving even through the several changes of Galactic Government that had occured. The interest he was earning on the funds alone was enough for Dav to live comfortably off of for the rest of his life. Discovering this, Dav invested a portion of the funds into something that would serve both a practical use and a personal satisfaction, buying himself a Corellian YT-1300 class Light Freighter. Darkness looms However, Dav's peaceful life at the Academy was quickly disturbed by an attack by one of the most powerful Sith known to the Galaxy – former Jedi Knight Jacen Solo, now known as Darth Caedus. Jacen was after Jedi Knight Andru Kierra, intending to take him and turn him to the Dark Side as his new apprentice. Dav fought to defend Andi from Jacen, engaging in a long and vicious Lightsaber duel with him. It was during this duel that Jacen attacked Dav with Dark Powers, plunging into his memories and learning of Dav's past. Jacen used this against Dav, employing the Sith tactic of Dun Möch against Dav, and weakening the Jedi's resolve. With a triumphant laugh, Jacen retreated from the battle, escaping them. A few weeks after this, Darth Caedus once again came to Yavin IV and engaged the Jedi in battle. The Jedi managed to hold their own, repelling Jacen's attack, but in the process, he managed to abduct Ander Tagira. The Jedi of Yavin IV banded together, and following a rescue plan devised by Dav, they managed to free Ander from Caedus in a mission that would be known to the Jedi as the Battle of the Cron Drift. The success of the mission earned Dav a large amount of respect within the Praxeum, and paved the way for steps towards leadership in the future. However, despite the success of the rescue, Dav couldn't help but feel greatly disheartened and concerned. He could feel the darkness on the horizon, and knew that he would very soon be facing some of the greatest challenges of his long life. The Corruption and Tebana Sor Some time after the battle with Jacen, and through the developing friendship with Tebana Sor, Dav faced an extra-galactic, shared consciousness entity known only as The Corruption for what would be the first of many times. The Corruption was an old enemy of Tebana’s, one that had caused countless suffering and death, one that threatened all life in the Galaxy itself. Tebana left for Haruun Kal to destroy the Corruption Seed there and recover the body of the now deceased Andru Kierra, but Dav foresaw that she would not be able to do so and survive alone. Dav flew after her in his XJ-9 X-Wing, rescuing her at the last minute from the destruction she had wrought to the Seed’s crater. Tebana chided Dav for putting himself in danger by following her there, and he stood by his actions, citing her respected status and symbolism to the Jedi, and how important she was, compared to his own, relatively minor status within the Galaxy. Her response was one of the first signs at the developing feelings between the two Jedi. Dav soon face the Corruption again, this time at Andru Kierra’s memorial service. First he had to talk with the Corruption created Echo of Andi, which the deceased Jedi’s spirit had possessed, and then, he and Tebana discovered an infant Corruption Seed hidden in the Praxeum’s hanger. Using his knowledge of the Corruption – gained from conversations with Tebana – Dav improvised a weapon to stun the Seed, before packing it inside a remote controlled fighter craft and sending it through Hyperspace and into the Maw Cluster. Dav paid witness as Tebana managed to draw one of the Corruption's entities away from it's collective mind, guiding it in becoming rogue and self-aware, and became deeply aware of just how severely the strains and traumas that her recurring encounters with the Corruption brought were affecting her. His concern for her grew, and he made a pledge to protect her whenever he could. Identity Crisis Whilst Dav continued his training, growing in strength and wisdom as a Jedi, a powerful, dark Force-user stalked the academy, completely undetected, attacking several of it’s most prominent Jedi - Jedi that had all been alive during, and survived through, the times of the Great Jedi Purge. As the mystery surrounding this deepened, Dav recognised both the tactics and the targets, and realised that the assassin was trained just as he had been, and was probably a survivor of Palpatine and Vader's deadly inquisitorius. Eventually, Dav had the other Jedi set a trap for the mysterious assassin. The trap was sprung, and the truth revealed – that Dav, and the dark Force-user, were one. The repressed personality of Dav as the Emperor's Hand had been drawn to the surface by Jacen Solo time and time again to control Dav's body whilst he slept, the 'Hand' having been originally reawoken during that fateful battle against the Sith Lord so many months before. Final Conflict Dav was stripped of the Force in the trap, and imprisoned so that his Emperor’s Hand personality could not surface again and hurt anyone else. Unfortunately, Jacen had other ideas. He forcibly reattached the Force to Dav, re-awoke the Hand one last time, and sent him out to kill his ultimate target – Ksandra Mallan. A vicious duel ensued, in which both were pushed to their absolute limits. However, as the Dark Dav moved to kill Ksandra, the good Dav – the real Dav – stopped him. They wrestled for control of the body, and Dav, finally realising that the Dark Dav was a part of him, won through, defeating once and for all his Dark Side, and finally accepting his place amongst the Jedi. Jedi Guardian, Champion, and Protector of Yavin IV Shortly after this, Dav was repromoted to Jedi Knight by Luke Skywalker in an unofficial ceremony. It would be Skywalker's last visit to the Jedi on Yavin IV for some time, as the Jedi Grandmaster was headed back to Coruscant to help rebuild the Jedi Order in the wake of Jacen Solo's death at the hands of his Sister, and the end of the Second Galactic Civil War. Dav finally felt a part of the Jedi Order once more, taking to the role with pride and determination, and serving as a Protector of the Yavin IV Praxeum and Jedi. Dav, having proven himself as a Jedi and as a Pilot, was promoted to Executive Officer of Dragon Squadron, becoming one of it's three main leaders, and helped reorganise the Squadron into a new, even more elite, crack unit of twelve. He also commissioned the design and construction of a brand new variation of the already formidable XJ9 StealthXs the Squadron flew - the T65XJ-9D Special Specification StealthX X-Wing, a state of the art fighter completely unique to the Jedi of Dragon Squadron. The fighters were well received, Dragon Squadron's pilots proving their worth in the heat of battle several times over. During this time, Dav completed the modifications to his privately owned YT-1300 Light Freighter, now named the Bright Horizon. The ship's modifications had cost him over a million credits, but the financial cost of the ship was offset by the sentimental value - the ship, which had already seen use, incomplete, in a number of Dav's journeys since his return to the Jedi way, was a labour of love, having been meticulously worked upon by the Jedi Master for nearly a year. The ship had already become a familiar sight to the Praxeum's occupants, and would later become famous across the Galaxy as it grew to be a significant and important ship to the Jedi. Dav Man'Sell was once again drawn away from Yavin IV and into the Galactic fold, thrust into the conflict between Osarian and the invading forces of Rhommamool (later known as the Crimson Skies conflict), fighting alongside Tebana Sor closely during the battle. The Jedi, and the forces of Osarian, would emerge victorious, and the heat of the battle, the danger presented to them both, drew powerful reactions from the two Jedi with regards to each other's safety. They expressed a deep fondness and concern for each other, becoming closer still. A few months later, in preparation for the inevitable day where he would face The Corruption again, Dav went to Zonama Sekot and harvested three Lambent Crystals, bonding with them. He brought the Crystals to Yavin IV, where a rogue element of the Corruption corrupted them for him with one of its dying moments, and he then installed the Corrupted crystals firstly into the two Lightsabers that had been built by his Dark alter-ego, and then later, the third crystal was installed into a pendant. Dav was present, a short while afterwards, at the wedding day of Ksandra Mallan and Ander Tagira, the two Jedi having fallen in love over the course of their experiences together. Dav was honoured to be one of the Groom's men at Ander's wedding, and so came proudly to it on the day. Luke Skywalker himself came to officiate proceedings, and Luke, Dav, Ksandra, and the other Jedi shared a wealth of stories with each other concerning the misadventures of the Groom. However, when Ander failed to appear at the Wedding, Dav and Jedi Master Bahiri Nav, who had been named Best Man, quietly left the ceremony to seek out the absentee Groom. The two Jedi quickly discovered that Ander had headed to Commenor to investigate a (what later turned out to be false) lead regarding his long missing mother, followed closely by a Bounty Hunter seeking to claim the enormous reward on the Jedi Master's head. Dav, and several others, received a vision of Ander being captured by the Hunter. A strike force of Jedi was brought together, all of them leaving for Commenor in the Bright Horizon. On Commenor, following severe difficulties and a brush with death for Dav, they finally located Ander, and in doing so, discovered the identity of Ander's abductor - none other than Jessop Tors, Dav's former Student. The Hunter had survived for all those years, training in Mandalorian battle techniques and joining the clans of the Warrior Race. Dav and Jessop battled, Dav finally gaining the upper hand, collapsing the wall of a building on Jessop, but refused to finish off the misguided man. Despite Jessop's cries of rage, Dav left, leaving his former apprentice. He felt saddened, and deeply introspective, over his past failures, and his future plans, as a result. Confession of true love Upon their return to the Praxeum, Tebana collapsed, passing into a deep coma due to extreme exhaustion, having nearly burnt out her entire body by pouring the Force into healing a dying Dav. A week passed, her spirit remaining absent from her body, as visitors and well wishers came to bid what could be their final farewell to the now prone and almost lifeless Master Tebana Sor. Dav was shaken to the core by her collapse, and visited her constantly over the course of the week, barely leaving the view-port looking into her private ward once. Finally, Dav entered the room, and spoke with her, expressing the feelings for her that had lain hidden inside him for a long time. He professed his love for her, and with a kiss, went to leave. As he did so, she woke, and replied with the truth of her feelings - that she loved him too. The two embarked upon a relationship, that grew quickly into a deep and unfaltering bond. Facing The Corruption Ksandra Mallan, following her final and absolute split from Ander Tagira, left to spend time meditating with Aalia Ra on the ice planet Helska IV. Dav took time out to visit her there, and, whilst there, he discovered that the Corruption had a presence there, sensing it through the Lambent Crystals. He faced the Corruption – an Echo of a mysterious being known only as ‘Rundas’. After a vicious battle, Dav emerged victorious, proving his skill, resourcefulness, and strength of character, and defeating one of the last surviving manifestations of The Corruption in the Galaxy. Trials of a Jedi Master The years passed, and Dav, Tebana, and the other Jedi faced many challenges. Dav and Tebana's relationship, and indeed, their devotion to the light itself, was tested by the death of their unborn child at the hands of her fallen Brother, but their love survived this. The two Jedi grew stronger in their relationship, finding comfort and light in each other's arms, and eventually choosing to live together permanently. Dav grew in wisdom and experience, training constantly, guiding and supporting other Jedi, and proving himself to be a wise and capable Jedi Knight, and his strength grew thanks to his now ingrained balance and peace with himself and his past. The Council eventually granted him the rank of Jedi Master in recognition of his achievements, and offered him a permanent seat on the Council. Dav accepted, at last taking up the path that had always laid before him, as a leader and champion of the Jedi. He became one of the most prominent members of the Academy’s Order, taking on the mantle of Jedi Battlemaster, and being elected (along with Tebana) as a High-Council representative from the Praxeum. Shortly after this, he lead Dragon Squadron in a risky mission to capture a long-lost Imperial fleet - a fleet that Dav had once been very familiar with, when he was Emperor's Hand. The mission was a success, and the fleet was taken to a secret location just outside the Yavin system in order to undergo repairs and refits for it's new role in the defence of Yavin IV. The timing of the capture couldn't have been better - shortly after this, Sith forces, under the command of the Dread Lord Havok, came to Yavin IV, overpowering it's defences and invading the Praxeum. Dav undertook a tricky and dangerous manoeuvre to circumvent the blockading forces, and escaped the system, returning under an hour later at the command of the captured fleet, now known as Task Force Guardian. The newly refitted fleet got it's trial by fire, blasting through the flanks of the Sith forces and opening up an escape route for the ships of the Jedi Praxeum. Dav's efforts in command of the new fleet proved invaluable to the evacuation, and as a result, the losses suffered by the Yavin IV Jedi were decidedly minor. Dav was a resolute leader of the Yavin-Jedi-in-exile, not once, in the long months that followed, giving up on his belief that they would return home to the Praxeum. When the opportunity to return home came, Dav lead the initial forces that went back to check on the Praxeum. Taking a team of engineers, waste, and bomb disposal experts down the the Praxeum he, with the assistance of Tebana, Zuli Madoon, and a number of other Jedi, managed to disarm all of the booby traps hidden within the Praxeum with relatively few losses, and the only notable damage to property being the destruction of the Praxeum's medical bay. Shortly after this, Dav met with Ton Phedi for a sparring session in one of the Training rooms in the Temple. The activation of their lightsabers, and the unique combination of energy output and harmonic resonance of the blades, triggered a hidden booby-trap still in the room - a pair of high-yield Thermal Detonators disguised as Training Remotes. Ton managed to disarm one of the devices, but the second exploded, threatening to kill them both and destroy a sizeable portion of the Great Temple. Dav reacted instantly and instinctively, guided by a sudden, unexplained intuition from the Force, and supplemented by a mysterious additional Light energy. He reached out with the Force, absorbing all of the destructive energy of the Thermal Detonator's explosion, and redirecting it harmlessly out of a window into the atmosphere of the moon. Dav collapsed immediately after this, suffering from deep and life threatening burns down his arms and across his chest, and the draining affects of over-exertion whilst using the Force. Taken to the temporary medical facilities set up in the Praxeum Hanger, Dav was tended to by Tebana, who desperately fought to keep him alive. His retro-metabolic abilities failed to kick in, possibly due to the combination of traumas on his body. At the moment when it looked as though Dav was going to succumb to the injuries and traumas, a sudden, phenomenal leap in Force energy in the area seemed to centre on Dav, like a literal funnel of the Light Side. This mysterious and unexplained energy, just as it had in the training room, augmented Dav's abilities, healing and strengthened him, and saving his life. Soon after this, Tebana and Dav lead a movement to bring together the Jedi Praxeum of Yavin IV and the Osarian Jedi in a formal partnership. With Tebana as a leading member of both Yavin IV's Praxeum Council and the Osarian Jedi Council, the connection was already there, and Dav capitalised on the relationship by arranging for the construction of a new Jedi institution - the Osarian Jedi Safe Haven. As the Haven reached the final stages of construction, Dav and Tebana, seeking to escape from the efforts of a troubled Ander Tagira to have almost exclusive control of much of Yavin IV's administrative and military structure, took up residence on Osarian, making the their semi-permanent home for a while. There, once joined by Ksandra, they called together the remaining members of Dragon Squadron, and begun work on a reformation of the Squadron. A short while later, the Praxeum suffered a massive loss; Ander, the Jedi Master that had rebuilt and lead the Academy, suddenly departed the Academy, retiring from leadership of the Academy, and shortly afterwards, vanishing without a trace. Amongst rumours and heresay that Ander had been captured by the Sith, turned to the Dark Side, or killed, the Praxeum entered a state of confusion and disarray. Few of the main body of Praxeum Jedi had noticed just how much of it's administrative, leadership, and military structure was reliant solely on Ander, and although the Praxeum's Council had been aware of it, they had not yet come up with a system to organise the running of the Praxeum, the Defence forces, and everything else that Ander had taken exclusive control of, in his absence. In the confusion and upheaval, Dav and Tebana worked with Aalia Ra, the ally Ander had called in to take over from him immediately after his departure, to keep the Academy's flailing administrative structure together. Once the initial disruption had settled down, a meeting of the Jedi Council elected both Dav and Tebana as the new, joint administrative leaders of the Praxeum and it's Council, and they immediately went to work on restructuring the Praxeum. Dav went on to face the challenges of the future with a new confidence and determination, standing up for others as they, when he needed it most, stood up for him, leading the Jedi into the coming darkness and fighting for the sake of good. Personality and traits Early Years Early in life, he was known to be very proud, slightly more emotional and hasty than a Jedi was supposed to be, but devout and committed to the Jedi way. His tutelage under Jo'osh Tors taught him patience, and over time, he learned to control his strong passions. The Clone Wars saw a passionate and determined Dav, but the traumas of the early battles saw him taking on a darker persona than had been seen prior to the Clone Wars. He was deeply reflective, and often questioned both the Jedi's role within the battle and the morality of using Cloned Soldiers in the war. Darker times Following his life-changing duel with the Dark Jedi, he was extremely self-doubting, plagued with insecurity and an inherent fear of using of his powers. Combined with his fear of being found by the Empire and Vader, Dav was a deeply troubled man. This mind set would be seen repeated during his second, post Endor exile. However, during both periods of exile, Dav would often, in dire circumstances, rise above his fear and self-doubt, his capacity for good and compassionate nature, and deep sense of justice, shining through, surpassing his pain and revealing his true self. Faith Restored When Dav returned to the Jedi, he spent some time still plagued and riddled with self-doubt. However the training provided by his Master, and the companionship of his new found friends, helped him to find faith in himself again. His confidence grew, and the darkness that had plagued him before, the him that had been born of blood and death and hate, was quickly superseded by the inherent light and compassion at his heart, and an optimistic out-look. Following the destruction of his dark alternate persona, and as the memories of the Emperor's Hand was fully integrated into him, he went through a phase of having a slightly darker attitude about him. He became slightly suspicious, and inherently covert, constantly playing his cards very close to his chest. This was only a very short-term change, and as he adjusted to life as a Jedi Knight again, he gradually returned to the optimistic and trusting character of before. The true Dav Dav was a determined and strong willed individual, finding the strength to carry on even when the obstacles ahead of him seemed insurmountable, resolved to keep fighting until there was no more hope. He often demonstrated a stubborn streak, a refusal to back down, something which occasionally got him into trouble, but his skills and powers usually proved sufficient to rise to the challenge. Dav was famous for his indomitable spirit and stubborn refusal to give in or give up. His will power was enough to overcome most others, and he demonstrated exceptional abilities to resist psychological and mental attacks. Dav was a proud individual generally, and set incredibly high standards for himself. He would always push to achieve his very best, and sought to improve himself at every opportunity, so that he would be the best he could possibly be. The high standards he set himself sometimes caused him to have issues of self-faith, most clearly demonstrated when he fell to the Dark Side. Discovering that he was not as strong and dedicated to the path of the light as he believed left Dav devastated, doubtful, and incredibly self-loathing, disappointed, even disgusted, in his failure to stay in the Light. However, after sometime, he overcame the doubts and realised that everyone needed to fail at some point, and that there was a reason that he would always have a fall: So that he could learn to pick himself up. He was also incredibly confident, sometimes to the point of over-confidence or even arrogance, and would take the time occasionally to flex his Ego. He rarely let his self-confidence get the better of him and blind him to the truth of a situation, however, and he was not so arrogant that he wouldn't admit to his mistakes, often seen to be very introspective and reflective on the events that had come to pass, seeking to learn from the mistakes of his past. Dav was deeply heroic in nature. He was often seen to be remarkably selfless, willing to sacrifice his own needs, safety, and desires for the greater good. The first into any fight, Dav was reluctant to let anyone fight in his stead, and frequently stood on the front lines of a fight, or staying behind in a rear-guard action, putting himself in danger so that his friends and companions might have a better chance. Dav was also characterised as having a very passionate and loyal streak. The friends he made would not often loose his allegiance, and he would frequently put himself in extreme, even unnecessary, dangers to assure that his friends and loved ones were safe. He was highly respected across the Jedi Orders, his wisdom, compassion, and clarity of thought and vision earning him the trust and admiration of many. He was a wise and insightful man, often able to suss people out and sense the underlying reasons behind their behaviour or troubles when even they themselves knew not why they felt as they did. Highly emotional too, he learnt to accept his passions and emotional nature as a part of him, using them to give him drive and determination, but also tempering them with calmness and thoughtfulness. A man of principal, Dav had a strong moral compass and sense of right and wrong, adamantly defending his beliefs and what he thought to be right. He was frequently seen to take the most right path over an easier option, often creating more trouble for himself than most people thought he needed to. Dav was known to become single minded in his actions when he felt his principals threatened, and was quick to anger and demonstrated swift retribution when he thought something was wrong. Dav vehemently believed in the ideals of the light and the greater good, and although he was a fighter at heart, he would not kill when he thought it unnecessary. He would almost always offer his enemy the chance to surrender, stop their activities, or leave of their own accord, believing everyone deserved that choice, that chance at redemption. Should his offer be rebuked, Dav's response would be unrelenting and often, irrepressible. Dav also, later in life, demonstrated a highly developed empathic and diplomatic side, which he often credited to Tebana "making (him) go soft in (his) old age". Powers and Abilities Combat Skills Dav Man'Sell was, first and foremost, a fighter and a warrior. Known for his remarkable - even legendary - skill with a Lightsaber, Dav was one of the most fearless and capable Jedi combatants of the New Sith War era. Dav spent many years studying Lightsaber combat intensely, both before, during, and after his time as Emperor's Hand. During his decades of exile following the Battle of Endor, Lightsaber training was one of the very few pastimes he allowed himself, focusing intently on refining his skills and improving his abilities. As a result of the massive spiritual and psychological trauma he suffered as a response to the Emperor's death, trauma which left his connection to the Force temporarilly numb, Dav was forced to hone his body and mind to be able to wield the Lightsaber with a high degree of skill without the use of the mystical field to guide him. For a few years after this, the only time Dav was able to truly connect to the Force with any great ability was when he was using his Lightsabers as a point of focus. As a result, Dav's attunement to his Lightsabers, and his ability to use them and fight with them, surpassed almost all his other abilities combined, and far exceeded the abilities of most of his contemporaries in the Jedi Order at that time. When Dav's dark Alter-ego resurfaced, the Alter-ego was able to successfully hold off four of the Yavin IV Praxeum's most powerful and proficient Jedi simultaneously in Lightsaber Combat. The Lightsaber skills he demonstrated, and style of fighting, although more aggressive, carried all the hallmarks of Dav's Light Side persona, suggesting that this was a reflection of his true abilities. Following this event, Dav trained profusely, improving his Lightsaber skills even further. His preferred combat form was a utilisation of Jar'Kai that was combined with Soresu, Djem So, or Vaapad, depending on the opponent, but Dav was just as capable of fighting with a single Lightsaber, and with the other forms of Lightsaber combat. Dav has knowledge of the following forms of Lightsaber Combat: *Lightsaber Forms **Form I: Shii-cho – Mastered **Form II: Makashi - Mastered **Form III: Soresu - Mastered and Perfected **Form IV: Ataru - Mastered **Form V: Shien / Djem So - Mastered and Perfected **Form VI: Niman - Mastered and Perfected **Form VII: Juyo / Vaapad - Mastered and Perfected ** Form VIII: Beakjul / Bulgul - Familiar *Jar’Kai (Dual-Wielding Lightsaber Combat) - Mastered and Perfected *Double-bladed Lightsaber Combat - Mastered *Mounted Lightsaber Combat - Mastered *Trispzest (Arial Lightsaber Combat) - Proficient * Telekinetic Lightsaber Combat - Expert, in training *Lightwhip Combat – Familiar Dav was a crack shot with blasters and most other conventional firearms, was highly proficient with common melee weapons (such as Swords, Combat Knives, and staff based weapons), as well as being a master of several forms of Unarmed Combat, including the Echani Arts, The 'Broken Gate' techniques of the Old Jedi Order, and an advance knowledge of pressure point fighting. He gained detailed knowledge in many of these skills as a part of his training as an Emperor's Hand, training which also gave him detailed knowledge of stealth and infiltration techniques, knowledge that he demonstrated the ability to put into practice several times. He also demonstrated himself of being capable of very clever psychological combat, demonstrating excellence in Dun Möch as the Emperor's Hand, and it's Inverse as a Jedi. Dav was also an expert Starfighter Pilot, having proven his talents as being exceptional during the Clone Wars, and continually expanding them, gaining experience and greater knowledge, in the decades that followed. As a Pilot, and later Flight Leader with Dragon Squadron, he demonstrated himself to be among the best pilots in the Galaxy. Dav was a very intelligent fighter, and often employed his combat skills in very unorthodox ways, usually to great success. He was an expert on reading the tactics, behaviour, and body-language of his foes to understand their intentions and their combat style, and turn this against them. Physiology Dav's unique and mysterious alien heritage gave him a remarkable, natural, physiological ability to heal. His cells demonstrated a rapid ability for replication and regeneration, with old cells being replaced faster than in a human by a level of several factors. This seemed to be an automatic response to damage - the more cells that were damaged, the more surrounding cells worked to replace them, and so, Dav actually healed larger injuries faster than he did smaller ones. This healing ability did not seem to work on his bones, leaving him vulnerable to structural damage to his skeleton more than anything else. However, his muscles did demonstrate an ability to 'grow stronger' around damaged bones to counter the structural problems. His skeleton responded to Force and standard healing techniques in the same way as any other human. Dav, unlike many Jedi, worked to keep himself in physically good shape. He combined meditative techniques with vigorous physical training and exercise, and demonstrated remarkable physical strength and flexibility as a result. His unusual healing ability meant that he could lift heavier weights than most others and push his body harder and faster and for longer than normal. He could also function for longer without sleep. Healing Abilities and Old Age Dav's natural ability gave him an extremely long life span, as cell degradation through old-age was countered by the fact that the damaged cells were replaced quickly by new, fresh cells. As Dav matured through child-hood and adolescence, he appeared to age at the same rate as a normal human, but as he hit his early twenties, his aging all but stopped, seeming to age at a rate somewhere between five and ten times slower than a human. By Dav's ninetieth birthday, he appeared to be in his early thirties, barely aging at all in over seventy years. One Scientist theorised that, potentially, Dav could live to be well over a thousand. Healing Abilities and Poisons and Diseases Dav showed a remarkable resilience to poisons, diseases, and toxins. His body could resist the damage from them by healing any cells that were affected by them, and in the case of illnesses, produce highly efficient anti-bodies extremely fast. There has been one example, though, of a Neuro-toxin having a prolonged minor affect on Dav. This was due to the Toxin still being present in his body, and his cells constantly repairing the damage. Eventually, the toxin broke down, as it naturally would have. Most other beings would have died long before this point, but Dav's immune system and healing factor kept him alive and functioning for long enough to 'out last' the toxin. Healing Abilities and The Force Although his Midi-chlorian count was never particularly high, Dav did show a remarkable talent for channelling the Force from other sources. This was due to his body being able to better withstand the strains of using the Force, as his cells healed the damage to them remarkably quickly. At points, powerful infusions of Force Light or pure Light Side energy have been shown to stimulate his cells, causing their natural regenerative abilities to go into overdrive. Force Talents Dav always demonstrated a moderately strong talent in the Force, but his connection to, and control of, his Force Powers was inconsistent. Powerful demonstrations of the Force were not something that seemed to come naturally to him, as it did with Anakin Skywalker, but Dav learnt, as a result of this, to be efficient and intelligent in his use. He was renowned for creative applications of the Force, often achieving just as much with a subtle twitch as many Jedi would through massive and exhausting utilisations of their power. Clone Wars Era As a Jedi in the Clone Wars, Dav displayed moderate power in the Force. He was capable of all of the basics, demonstrating (among others) Force Push, Pull, and Telekinesis, Force Leap and Acrobatics, Battle Precognition, Crucitorn (which seemed to come almost naturally to him, due to a combination of his high durability and his strong will power), Jedi Mind Tricks, Telepathy, Force Speed, and Force Valour, all to a fairly advanced degree of proficiency. His powers during his first period of exile, on the run from the Purge, remained fairly consistent with his powers in the Clone Wars, although his demonstrations of those powers became less frequent. Emperor's Hand When Dav was captured, tortured, and brainwashed by the Emperor, Dav utilised the Force in a considerably different way to his time as a Jedi. He demonstrated a similar proficiency to his use in the Clone Wars, but he added Force Grip, advanced Force Stealth and Force Cloak, Force Lightening, Force Fear, and Torture-by-Chagrin to his list of notably used abilities. He also demonstrated a remarkable ability to channel the Force energy provided from him by Emperor Palpatine - The Emperor discovered that Dav's body seemed more resilient to the burn out that other Force Users could sometimes suffer when he poured all his might into them. Dav's unique physiology meant that he could channel vast amounts of energy from another Force User, making him, potentially, one of the most powerful Emperor's Hands in the Galaxy at that time. Time in Exile Following the Emperor's death, and during Dav's second period of exile, his abilities in the Force varied most of all. Immediately after the Emperor's Death, the sudden release from Palpatine's control, and regaining his memories and sense of self, sent Dav into shock - the psychological manifestation of this was his mind cutting off his ability to access the Force at all. After around six months of total numbness, Dav started to gradually rediscover his Force sensitivity. This firstly happened through his Lightsabers, when he instinctively called one telekinetically to his hand in a moment of need. For several more years after this, he was only able to access the Force in this way, using telekinesis, and other such skills, on or through his Lightsabers. Although highly frustrating for Dav, this eventually lead to his Force bond with his weapons to exceed that of a normal Jedi. Dav gradually found himself regaining more of his powers, particularly those focused on himself. These included Force Leap, Speed, and Valour, each of which he used at varying points over the course of the first ten years after Palpatine's death. The strength and reliability of these powers improved greatly with time - at first, he could only use them for brief spurts before they died out again. By the time of the Yuuzhan Vong war, Dav had regained controlled use of Force Speed, Leap, Valour, Push, Pull, Crucitorn, and limited Telekinetic powers. He still remained unable to use most of the Alter school of Force Powers outside of the limited telekinetic skills he had regained, and was almost completely blind to the Sense aspect of Force Abilities, although he demonstrate the ability to 'see through' the Fallanasi illusion used to hide Yavin IV, and had the occasional, very potent, Force Vision. He was also able to engage in Telepathy with other Force Users, but at the time found it difficult, requiring extreme concentration. Student of Yavin IV Dav began retraining at Yavin IV, gradually finding some of his abilities - particularly his telepathic powers, which were enhanced through the various Force Bonds he developed, particularly with his Master, Ksandra Mallan. However, for a long while, he was still unable to enhance his powers much beyond the level he had achieved during the Yuuzhan Vong war, without calling on the Dark Side to do so. Dav's dark alter-ego demonstrated phenomenal power in this time, drawing his energy from Sith Lord Darth Caedus. He demonstrated an affinity for Force Stealth and Cloak just as powerful as the ability he had during the Emperor's reign, capable of disappearing from sight and the Force with remarkable ease. He also showcased remarkable talents in Telekinesis, able to utilise the powerful telekinetic power Force Repulse. He also showed himself to use all of the powers that the Light Side version of Dav could, in remarkably powerful ways. The presence of this Dark Side version of Dav suppressed in Dav's psyche, it was revealed, was the reason for Dav's struggles in accessing the Force since Palpatine's death. Dav lost his powers again when the Jedi sprung the trap on the assassin attacking the Jedi of the Praxeum. They blocked his access to the Force, and moments later discovered that ''he was the attacker. Following the final battle between Dav's dark version, and Ksandra Mallan, the Dark version of Dav was destroyed, and Dav regained full access to the Force. He was able to access all aspects of the Force, just as he had before his torture, brainwashing, and fall to the Dark Side, and the training he had undergone since then stuck with him, giving him greater experience in the Force. Jedi Master Dav demonstrated many Force Skills after becoming a Jedi Master. His skills in Telepathy became significantly more potent, using Mind Tricks proficiently, and, through various Force Bonds he had developed, demonstrating the ability to communicate over vast distances. Dav's most potent use of his telepathic abilities came in combat against The Corruption on Helska IV, when he was able to firstly transmit his own memories of being tortured by electrocution into the Corruption - which had a physical and psychological weakness and fear for electric based attacks -, and then later, take control of an element of the Corruption, demonstrating his strong will power. It should be noted particularly that Dav did so through an unusual telepathic connection gained from the corrupted self-harvested Lambent Crystals in his Lightsabers, and that the Corruption's mind was profoundly alien and wildly different to most sentient beings, making his achievements in this regard all the more impressive. His talents in Battle Precognition, once they returned, were vastly improved, and he was able to act on it almost flawlessly, as the co-ordination between the "danger sense" and his reactions became almost synchronous. He was seen to frequently use the Force to guide his actions, in an almost instinctive way, especially when piloting, feeling dangers or potential problems in his flight path, or the locations of obstacles, incredibly acutely. He was similarly skilled in Lightsaber Combat, able to make incredibly precise cuts and blocks through an almost instinctive application of the Force. Following the destruction of the 'Hand persona', Dav's demonstrations of Telekinesis were rarely seen to be as flash or powerful as the darker him presented. However, there were a few occurrences where he displayed telekinetic abilities similar to them, including use of Force Repulse, suggesting that his lack of use of them was a personal choice rather than a lack of the talents. He did show himself to be able to use the Force for incredibly small and precise examples of Telekinesis. Dav did, however, demonstrate a remarkable talent in Telekinetic Lightsaber Combat. Due to his exceptional attunement with his Lightsabers, he demonstrated an almost in instinctive use of all Lightsaber related powers, such as Alter Damage. Dav first demonstrated his talents in Force/Energy Absorb when the Yavin IV Praxeum was booby trapped following it's temporary occupation by Sith Forces. He managed to absorb the energy from a powerful explosive and redirect it harmlessly into the atmosphere. At the time, this use of the Force burnt him out, nearly killing him, but an (as of yet) unexplained surge of Force Energy reinvigorating him. He later demonstrated a more controlled level of it, although not absorbing anywhere near the same level of energy. He also demonstrated the ability to use this power with Force attacks. Dav continued to display exceptional abilities in Force Stealth and Force Cloak as a full Jedi, frequently known to seem to 'appear out of thin air'. Dav had his own version of Revitalize, which he would deliver most potently through a kiss. This version called more on his own natural excess of vitality and life energy. Dav was remarkably talented with Force Leap and Force powered acrobatics. He also demonstrate the ability to use Force Protect, Tapas, Breath Control, Force Listening, Force Empathy, Force Vision and Farseeing, and Force Deflection to some extent and varying degrees of ability, and demonstrated during a duel with Jago Pulastra's wayward, fallen former Padawan Gideon Wyeth, that he was able to 'root' himself in the Force so that he became an 'immovable object', much in the way Luke Skywalker did during his final duel with UnuThul at the conclusion of the Dark Nest Crisis. Weapons and Equipment Main Weapons *2 Master-crafted Lightsabers - One (1) green, one (1) blue; styled after Obi-Wan Kenobi/Luke Skywalker); The crystals inside have been perfectly attuned to both Dav and the lightsabers themselves. The crystals help Dav focus his Force Powers even further, allowing him to use the lightsabers as a more direct conduit for his abilities, and making the blades an almost natural extension of his body and mind. The sabers are both waterproof and EM shielded. *1 DL-44 Heavy Blaster - Dav is a crack shot, having been trained to be proficient with all weapons during his time as an Emperor's Hand. Secondary Weapons *2 Lightsabers - (Water shielded, EM shielded): Both Purple blades, originally built by Dav’s Dark Side alter ego, the Sith Synth-Crystals have been replaced by self-harvested, Corrupted, Yuuzhan Vong lambent focusing crystals. Other Equipment *1 Wrist-Comp - A unique, multi-use personal computing and communication device with advanced inbuilt sensor systems. The only known copy of the Blueprints for this device currently reside in a redundant memory system in Dav Man'Sell's R2 droid, Dirty. *1 Sonic Multi-tool - An entire toolkit in one, handy pocket-sized tool! Using different degrees of sonic wave emission, from microscopic, even atomic level subtle vibrations to larger, more direct and intense waves, the Sonic Multi-tool is the most diverse, and not to mention durable, multi-tool in the Galaxy! Settings include (but are not limited too): Hydrospanner function, Demagnetizer function, Plastifibe Agitator Function, Tuning Stylus Function, Finepoint Vibrocutter Function, Lock Breaker Function, and Anti-Adhesive Vibration Function. Behind the Scenes Dav Man'Sell is best known as the player character and Star Wars Universe proxy of British Actor, Star Wars fan, and creative writing hobbyist, Dave Mansell. Dav Man'Sell was originally created as a nameless NPC Jedi Character for the D20 Star Wars Roleplaying Game in early 2001. He eventually took the name Master Man'Sell, and served as the method through which the Player Characters (who were playing through a campaign set in the Rebellion era) could learn about the Force and become Jedi. Following the conclusion of the Dungeon Master's Roleplaying Campaigns, the character of Master Man'Sell went mostly unused for several years, only occasionally cropping up in various Computer Games as a Player Name, until his creator begun to Roleplay within the Jedi vs Sith Facebook Application. As a result, much of Dav's back story is well established, having been played out or referenced to in the roleplaying campaign, and remains fundamentally unchanged from this original character. This also leads Dav to be one of the longest existing characters in the JvS roleplaying community. Although similar in many ways to his creator, and an obvious Author Proxy, Dav Man'Sell is not a direct Author-port, and differs greatly from his writer. There are a number of pieces of art-work centered around the character, most of which were drawn and coloured by the character's original creator. Various design elements of his clothing, and especially some of the designs of some of his equipment, are meant as either a direct reference to the writer (eg: Dav's trademark Greatcoat), or in other cases (such as the Sonic Multi-tool) as tongue-in-cheek tributes to popular British Science Fiction show Doctor Who, of which Dave is an avid fan. Category:Characters Category:Jedi Weapon Master Category:Jedi Master Category:Jedi Category:Pilot Category:Males